A Fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and can include elaborate designs extending to the ceiling. Mantelpiece is now the general term for the jambs, mantel shelf, and external accessories of a fireplace. For many centuries, the chimneypiece was the most ornamental and most artistic feature of a room, but as fireplaces have become smaller, and modern methods of heating have been introduced, its artistic as well as its practical significance has lessened.

In the early Renaissance style, the chimneypiece of the Palais de Justice at Bruges is a magnificent example; the upper portion, carved in oak, extends the whole width of the room, with nearly life-size statues of Charles V and others of the royal family of Spain. The most prolific modern designer of chimneypieces was G. B. Piranesi, who in 1765 published a large series, on which at a later date the Empire style in France was based. In France, the finest work of the early Renaissance period is to be found in the chimneypieces, which are of infinite variety of design.

The English chimneypieces of the early seventeenth century, when the purer Italian style was introduced by Inigo Jones, were extremely simple in design, sometimes consisting only of the ordinary mantel piece, with classic architraves and shelf, the upper part of the chimney breast being paneled like the rest of the room. In the latter part of the century the classic architrave was abandoned in favor of a much bolder and more effective molding, as in the chimneypieces at Hampton Court, and the shelf was omitted.

In the eighteenth century, the architects returned to the Inigo Jones classic type, but influenced by the French work of Louis XIV. and XV. Figure sculpture, generally represented by graceful figures on each side, which assisted to carry the shelf, was introduced, and the over-mantel developed into an elaborate frame for the family portrait over the chimneypiece. Towards the close of the eighteenth century the designs of the Adam Brothers superseded all others, and a century later they came again into fashion. The Adam mantels are in wood enriched with ornament, cast in molds, sometimes copied from the carved wood decoration of old times.

Mantels or fireplace mantels can be the focus of custom interior decoration. A mantel traditionally offers a unique opportunity for the architect/designer to create a personal statement unique to the room they are creating. Historically the mantel defines the architectural style of the interior decor, whether it be traditional i.e. Classic, Renaissance, Italian, French, American, Victorian, Gothic etc.

The choice of material for the mantel includes such rich materials as marble, limestone, granite, or fine woods. Certainly the most luxurious of materials is marble. In the past only the finest of rare colored and white marbles were used. Today many of those fine materials are no longer available, however many other beautiful materials can be found world wide. The defining element of a great mantel is the design and workmanship.

A mantel offers a unique opportunity in its design for a sculptor/artisan to demonstrate their skill in carving each of the fine decorative elements. Elements such as capitals, moldings, brackets, figurines, animals, fruits and vegetation are commonly used to decorate a mantel. One might say that a mantel can be an encyclopedia of sculpture. More than the material, it is the quality of the carving that defines the quality of the mantel piece thus highlighting the magnificence of the room.

In 1834 Gideon Algernon Mantell (1790 – 1852), was given a sandstone block containing Iguanodon bones. This was nicknamed the ‘Mantell-Piece’.

History of fireplace mantels

Up to the twelfth century, fires were simply made in the middle of a home by a hypocaust, or with braziers, or by fires on the hearth with smoke vented out the lantern in the roof. As time went on, the placement of fireplaces moved to the wall, incorporating chimneys to vent the smoke. This permitted the design of a very elaborate, rich, architectural focal point for a grand room.

The earliest known chimneypiece is in the Kings House at Southampton, with Norman shafts in the joints carrying a segmental arch, which is attributed to the first half of the twelfth century. At a later date, in consequence of the greater width of the fireplace, flat or segmental arches were thrown across and constructed with archivolt, sometimes joggled, with the thrust of the arch being resisted by bars of iron at the back.

In domestic work of the fourteenth century, the chimneypiece was greatly increased in order to allow of the members of the family sitting on either side of the fire on the hearth, and in these cases great beams of timber were employed to carry the hood; in such cases the fireplace was so deeply recessed as to become externally an important architectural feature, as at Haddon Hall. The largest chimneypiece existing is in the great hall of the Palais des Comtes at Poitiers, which is nearly 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, having two intermediate supports to carry the hood; the stone fluesare carried up between the tracery of an immense window above.

The history of carved mantels is a fundamental element in the history of western art. Every element of European sculpture can be seen on great mantels. Many of the historically noted sculptors of the past i.e. Augustus St. Gaudens designed and carved magnificent mantels, some of which can be found on display in the worlds great museums. Exactly as the facade of a building is distinguished by its design, proportion, and detail so it is with fine mantels. The attention to carved detail is what defines a great mantel.

Fireplace mantels today

Up until the 20th century and the invention of mechanized contained heating systems, rooms were heated by an open or central fire. A modern fireplace usually serves as an element to enhance the grandeur of an interior space rather than as a heat source. Today, fireplaces of varying quality, materials and style are available worldwide. The fireplace mantels of today often incorporate the architecture of two or more periods or cultures.

(Adapted from the Wikipedia article, “Fireplace Mantels”)

A home staircase can be eyesore or a crowning accomplishment for those entering through your front door. The first and most important act of a homeowner is to make the choice of materials and colors.

Your existing staircase is rich with remodeling possibilities. On the other hand, if your intent is to create from the bottom up, you will be able to find a near-endless supply of examples and creations on the internet or in magazines.

One can only imagine the endless possibilities that exist all around us in the buildings and homes we have privy to on a daily basis.

Success will depend to a great degree on how well you are organized. Set about systematically to choose handrails, newel posts and spindles that will match the décor of your home.

Take time to consider what areas will be painted and what areas will be covered with wood.

When remodeling or building a home, it is important that you take into consideration the building codes that apply. The building codes will cover all aspects of your home including how your stairs can be constructed. Emerald Woodworks is your partner, and will make sure that codes are followed, and you end up with a staircase that is both safe and beautiful.

There are many things to consider when looking at a new staircase.

1. Start your search by determining the type of stairs you want to build. You can choose from spiral, straight, winding L , double L, or U shaped stairs. Space is the biggest consideration in making your choice. Keep in mind that it is a lot easier to maintain or be creative with the same type of stair that is already present.
2. You can also get a lot of information from the internet from websites that list building codes for cities and counties. Just note that your city or county may not be listed, and you might have to do a little more searching.
3. Your local city or country building department can provide helpful information on the codes you’re looking for and can help point you in the right direction.
4. Another source of information can be from people you know who have successfully remodeled or built new staircases in their own homes. Always double check though to make sure the information is dependable. At Emerald Woodworks, we’re experts in creating great staircases, and we’d be happy to help you determine what will work best for you.

Professional staircase builders like Emerald Woodworks will be able to assess your particular needs and provide you with all the relevant information you need.

(Adapted from “New Staircase Remodeling Tips” by the Pike Staircase Company)

Millwork is any wood mill-produced, building construction interior finish component such as doors, window casing, banisters,Baseboard, Fireplace mantel, and Crown molding, and the use of these materials is infinite.

The style of the millwork you select says a lot about you or your environment! Let’s take a look at a few examples.

A very tall, ornate baseboard will certainly add a traditional touch to a room, where a shorter one, with minimal detail, may show a more contemporary style. In a dining room, a chair rail can be added midway up the wall to stop chair backs scraping against paint work, and is often viewed as a traditional element. These are not just utilitarian and can add great interest to a room by allowing two different wallpapers or paint colors to be used for additional texture or color. Added lower paneling punctuates this more traditional style. There is no reason you shouldn’t break the rules and place a chair rail in a contemporary space! Instead of ornate details on moldings, we can offer options to create a crisp modern feel. Moldings could, even, “step” to different heights in certain areas of a room and be viewed as artwork in itself, adding a very modern twist!

Crown molding and other ceiling trims adds presence and grandeur to a space and are typically seen in traditional and transitional settings. With good reason there is a trend, particularly in open planned homes, to use this type of millwork as it adds another dimension to large expanses which may otherwise have very little architectural interest. The larger the space the more important it is to create texture, interest and dimension to minimize what looks like the ballroom effect; a sense of being in a large public building. Acoustics may also be affected by this type of millwork, reducing echoing. Contact Emerald Woodworks for more information.

French doors can be enhanced with floor to ceiling details that turn a run-of-the-mill entrance into a grand opening onto a beautiful patio, deck or garden. In essence a gateway to your private outside world!

The sky’s the limit when using millwork and Emerald Woodworks will work with you to determine style and colors, selecting custom staining finishes to match existing elements, to enhance your space and make it exclusively yours!

Kitchen cabinets and built-ins can be a major investment for many homeowners, so it’s important to choose the best materials and techniques when making or buying these cabinets. We’ll help you select wood that’s attractive in terms of color and grain pattern, but is also durable and long lasting.

Oak is the most common wood used for solid wood cabinets. Because of the strong “flower” grain in the wood, oak often looks best in country settings. You can stain it almost any color, and since the graining is so strong, the grain will always come through the stain. To offset the reddish coloring, use either white oak, which is lighter in its natural coloring, or, if you prefer red oak, go “browner” in the stain selection. A cherry stain enriches the color of red oak.

• Cherry, used primarily in formal cabinets with raised panels, either French or English style, is an ele­gant wood with a natural reddish coloring that is much deeper than oak.

• Rift oak is a veneer much sought after by architects and designers. The oak flower is cut away, leaving the vertical grain. White oak is used for rift selection, so that it becomes very light when stained. This type of oak would generally be used in flush overlay con­struction, in which no frames would be visible.

• Hickory, another wood used in country settings, is a strong brown wood with natural markings.

• Birch has a very white, natural coloring. It takes a stain well and is often used in contemporary cabinets as well as in raised and recessed panel doors.

• Ash is the whitest wood and often employed in cab­inet interiors. It has very little graining or flower and takes a stain well in addition to easily accepting enamel or lacquer paint.

• Pine, which has a yellowish cast, takes distressing and antiquing beautifully, one reason it is so often used in English, French, and American country set­tings. Its drawback is that it is a soft wood and can be nicked easily.

• Maple is a hard wood that some manufacturers use primarily as a base for enamel or stains. It has little graining and tends to appear yellow.

More exotic woods, such as wormy chestnut, which is highly distressed, and cypress, which has a yellow cast, are primarily available regionally and are not offered by most kitchen cabinet manufacturers. Those who know best about how to work with these woods are specialty wood workers like Emerald Woodworks.

In choosing wood for your cabinets and built-ins, Emerald Woodworks can help you select the perfect wood for the project.

(Adapted from Selecting Wood Cabinets by the National Kitchen and Bath Association)

Preparing for a remodeling project is a lot like preparing to buy a car. You may know the room and style you want, but the options you choose may drive the price higher than you can reasonably afford. But there are ways to stretch the remodeling budget and end up with stylish results within budget.

Getting Started

• The most important step is finding a professional remodeling contractor for your job. Emerald Woodworks has been providing great quality and first rate customer service for years. Contact us first about your project.
• Hire a professional contractor, like Emerald Woodworks, who is familiar with the building codes in your area. Updating work that does not meet code can be extremely expensive.
• A well–written contract can prevent costly mistakes or additions to the scope of your project. It is a critical step in maintaining your budget.
• Save money by planning ahead. Go through the design process first and choose everything you want to include in the new room(s), from appliances to light fixtures, etc. This will define your budget and prevent hasty (and costly) decisions later in the project. Be sure to include all your product and material selections in the contract to avoid confusion and unnecessary change orders. Include the model, size, color, and other specifications. It is also wise to save 10–20 percent of your budget to allow for items added to the scope of work.
• The number one way to decrease the cost of your remodeling project is product choices. Look around to determine whether you can achieve a similar look with a less expensive product.
• In addition, pay attention to how labor intensive some design features may be, for example laying ceramic tile on kitchen countertops and the backsplash.
• Compare products and their prices carefully before you make final decisions. And keep an open mind when you discuss product and design ideas with your contractor.
• Make decisions based on value and quality, not just price.
• Think about staging the work being done to minimize the initial financial impact. It is often easier to create a more manageable budget by starting small and adding to the project at a later date. This will break the work into several jobs instead of one large project. The down side of staging a remodel is that you may end up paying more in the long run.

General Remodeling Tips

• Be creative. There are often multiple solutions to accomplish a design objective, some more expensive than others. Discuss various options with your contractor.
• If all the room really needs is a facelift, make the most of changes with paint, as opposed to structural changes. Changing the color of a room can revitalize it. This is the easiest way to bring life to a room on a budget.
• Heavy or textured wallpaper can work wonders as well. You can save money by wallpapering a slightly damaged wall rather than replacing it. If the wall has grass cloth wallpaper on it, consider whitewashing it for a totally new look. Several layers of whitewash (in various shades of white) produce a clean, sophisticated look in any room.
• Faux finish painting or other textured decorative painting techniques also can hide minor damage or irregularities that flat paint won’t.
• Attempt to keep windows in their existing places during a remodeling project. Moving windows is not a cost–saving endeavor.

Finding Space

• Creating more space can be a big budget buster. Once you add square footage to a home, the price increases significantly. One alternative is to borrow space from a neighboring room (called space reconfiguration). A great place to steal space for a bathroom expansion is from the linen closet. You can make up some of the lost storage by finding small spaces in between wall studs for small niches or built–in shelves.
• You can also try borrowing space with optical illusions. There are many ways to make a small room appear larger. To transform a small bath, install a bow window or a skylight. Vaulted ceilings can be a nice touch, too.
• If you are going to expand outside the existing home, consider a small bump out of two to four feet. This may allow you to cantilever the floor joists and eliminate the need for excavation and foundation. If possible, be careful not to extend beyond the roofline, which might require a new roofline to your job.
• Whenever you are adding on new space to a home, have a heating/cooling contractor determine whether your existing heating/air conditioning system can accommodate and heat/cool the extra space. If the heating/cooling system is damaged, you will be forced to replace the existing units.

In the Kitchen

• If at all possible, reuse existing appliances, and build your new cabinets around them. This could save you anywhere from $1,500–5,000 easily. However, be aware that appliances, like anything electrical, are sensitive to change and may develop problems if they are moved. Should you decide to avoid potential appliance “burn–out” and purchase new appliances, choose energy conscious models for a reduction in your utility bills.
• Maintain present location of major fixtures, appliances and utilities relative to the plumbing, gas and electrical outlets. This could even apply to the location of the telephone. Moving plumbing, wiring and jacks can be extremely expensive.
• The faucet can be a costly item. The least expensive selection is chrome. Even a high-end chrome faucet is considerably less than a mid-range brass or porcelain version. A standard two-handle faucet generally costs less than single handle. Faucets and handles are sold separately, so you may want to choose a chrome faucet with brass or porcelain handles for a different look. Faucet caution: The price variances in faucets reflect the various internal and external features. Always choose a faucet with replaceable internal parts. You won’t want to have to replace the entire faucet if it breaks – it’s simply not cost-effective.
• Choose neutral colors in fixtures, appliances and laminates. They are less expensive initially and wont look dated when the color trends change. White and almond sinks are much cheaper than color varieties. And neutral laminate colors for countertops are less than custom colors or textures.
• Good floor covering is important. It ties one room to another and provides visual consistency. Familiarize yourself with the prices of the various flooring materials to make the best decision for your home. To get you started, vinyl or laminate flooring is less expensive than wood, tile or slate.
• Use the existing floor covering if it is still in good condition. If the kitchen has old vinyl flooring, there may be a hardwood floor underneath that could be sanded and refinished, avoiding the need for a new floor entirely.
• If you currently have a vinyl floor covering and wish to update with a newer version, you can install synthetic floor leveler material over the existing vinyl floor and lay the new vinyl flooring on top, rather than tearing the old flooring off to install the new.
• Consider your cabinet options carefully. Those choices will drive the overall price. You can add some options at a later date to defray some of the initial cost. Some that are easy to add include tilt front doors, spice racks and slide out wire baskets. However, if you decide to wait, make certain that the option you want will be available and can be added after installation. Note of caution: Waiting will cost you more in the long run. Adding new cabinets often requires installing a new floor. Refacing existing cabinets not only eliminates the need for new flooring, countertops and appliances altogether, it is a major savings in any kitchen remodel.
• Go with a simple design in the kitchen employing single height wall cabinets, blind corner cabinets rather than those with Lazy Susans, and other standard options. Watch your upgrades.
• Use standard cabinetry instead of custom cabinets, or use a combination of the two if they are compatible.
• Choose cabinets that can be operated without the addition of hardware (those that are finger–pulled).
• Install cabinets without soffits to decrease the labor cost. Also consider cabinets without trim moldings or with simple trim.
• If you are going to put in new wood trim (in your crown molding, trims, and door casings) to match the new cabinets, order pre–finished trim instead of having the painting or staining done on–site. This will decrease labor cost. Ordering finger–jointed vs. clear vertical grain also will save you money.
• Consider stenciling on the backsplash instead of using tile.
• Laminate countertops are the least expensive choice among solid surfacing, tile and granite. You can dress it up with wood or tile trim for a more innovative look.
• Connect fluorescent light fixtures to the existing ceiling fixture box instead of installing new recessed lighting, which may require a new ceiling because of the recessed features.

In the Bathroom

• Consider reglazing a tub instead of replacing it, especially if it is still in relatively good condition. This can save you more than half the cost of a tub replacement and minimize the dust at the same time.
• Cultured marble sheets are a good choice for tub surrounds, instead of ceramic tile. You will save considerably on labor costs and the marble sheets are much easier to clean.
• Fiberglass surrounds are also less costly than tile.
• Examine how you are utilizing space. You may be able to steal some space from a neighboring room or closet. If your overall space is limited, purchase a jetted tub and shower combination or install a pedestal lavatory instead of a vanity cabinet with a sink. Understand that while pedestal lavatories do eliminate the need for vanities and save space, some models may cost more than a separate vanity cabinet and sink.
• Cultured marble lavatories can be a great budget choice since it is an integrated sink bowl and countertop sold in one easily installed unit.
• Define what is truly needed in the bathroom. Sometimes an extra bath is planned when installing a double sink in an existing bath would meet the need.
• If you are going to add a large jetted tub to your project, consider adding a water heater dedicated to that tub. A large jetted tub can hold up to an average of 75 gallons or more, which can easily overextend your existing water heater and cause problems in the future.
• When revamping yesterday’s bathroom to fit with today’s homeowners’ expectations for luxury, homeowners can familiarize themselves with the latest options in home spa advancements. One such indulgence is an electric warming system beneath your new stone or tile floor.

(Adapted from an article by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry)